THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:

... with THE BANGLES!  There's no better way to start than with these live takes on "Hero Takes A Fall"  and Kimberley Rew's "Goin' Down To Liverpool" for Dave in 1984. It was that sort of rawk (and the hotness of Susanna Hoffs) that got Prince to give them "Manic Monday," their first mainstream hit, from the A Different Light album, which included Jules Shear's "If She Knew What She Wants," Alex Chilton's "September Gurls," and -- inevitably -- Liam Sternberg's "Walk Like An Egyptian."  Nevertheless, their fondness for the genres of the mid-60s was still evident in their take on Simon & Garfunkel's "Hazy Shade of Winter" for the Less Than Zero soundtrack, and the psych-garage-bubblegum of "In Your Room" on the Everything album, which yielded their final No.1 hit, "Eternal Flame."  The draw from the 60s is a constant I saw them in a club, on a big stage and in a club again -- the last time was at a House of Blues, where they covered the We Five's "You Were On My Mind."  However, I'll confess that I put off featuring the band for about a bit, until the Susanna Hoffs solo cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Makin' Love" popped back up on the Tube after an absence. That woman knows how to shake her tambourine.

THE BETHS play KEXP.

QUASI plays KEXP.

BECK joined GORILLAZ for "Possession Island" on Kimmel.

BULLY shares "Hard to Love."

MICHAEL STIPE shares "Give Me a Hand."

CORNERSHOP returns with "Disco's Main Squeeze."

VERA FAMIGA(!!!) bellows out a shockingly kickass Slipknot cover.

HOW THE NATIONAL became the world's most influential band.

SLEAFORD MODS, on the new record, calling out online trash talkers, and stealing beers at the pub in the old days.

JONATHAN MAJORS: Sources familiar with the matter tell Variety that multiple alleged abuse victims of Majors have come forward following his March arrest and are cooperating with the Manhattan district attorney’s office. His lawyer has sent evidence to a New York court that the lawyer says shows the woman whom he allegedly assaulted uninjured and socializing in the hours after the incident that led to the actor's March 25 arrest.

ALEC BALDWIN's criminal charges arising from the Rust shooting are going to be dropped.  They could be refiled (but likely won't be).

THE ROYALS: William and Harry still aren't talking.

CLEOPATRA's African Heritage in Netflix Docudrama Sparks Uproar in Egypt.

JOAQUIN PHOENIX once “just started screaming” on the set of Beau Is Afraid to prepare for a specific scene.

STANLEY TUCCI  “tried to get out of playing” a particular role.

AL PACINO on The Godfather vs The Godfather: Part II.

WHITE MEN CANT JUMP: The reboot has a trailer online.

STUDENTS dressed as Gandalf run into Ian McKellen.

A CAT makes the big leap.

A CAT makes the big save.

A SERVICE DOG's hospital stay.